for growing of fruit or grain of any kind. If
we wished at any time to traffick with them, they
came to the sea shore and stood upon the rocks, from
which they lowered down by a cord to our boats beneath
whatever they had to barter, continually crying out
to us, not to come nearer, and instantly demanding
from us that which was to be given in exchange; they
took from us only knives, fish books and sharpened
steel. No regard was paid to out courtesies; when
we had nothing left to exchange with them, the men
at our departure made the moat brutal signs of disdain
and contempt possible. Against their will we
penetrated two or three leagues into the interior
with, twenty-five men; when we came to the shore, they
shot at us with their arrows, raising the most horrible
cries and afterwards fleeing to the woods. In
this region we found nothing extraordinary except
vast forests and some metalliferous hills, as we infer
from seeing that many of the people wore copper ear-rings.
Departing from thence, we kept along the coast, steering
north-east, and found the country more pleasant and
open, free from woods, and distant in the interior
we saw lofty mountains, but none which extended to
the shore. Within fifty leagues we discovered
thirty-two islands, all near the main land, small
and of pleasant appearance, but high and so disposed
as to afford excellent harbours and channels, as we
see in the Adriatic gulph, near Illyria and Dalmatia.
We had no intercourse with the people, but we judge
that they were similar in nature and usages to those
we were last among. After sailing between east
and north the distance of one hundred and fifty leagues
more, and finding our provisions and naval stores
nearly exhausted, we took in wood and water and determined
to return to France, having discovered 502, [Footnote:
see ante. p. 58, note.] that is 700 (sic) leagues
of unknown lands.
As to the religions faith of all these tribes, not
understanding their language, we could not discover
either by sign or gestures any thing certain.
It seemed to us that they had no religion or laws,
or any knowledge of a First Cause or Mover, that they
worshipped neither the heavens, stars, sun, moon nor
other planets; nor could we learn if they were given
to any kind of idolatry, or offered any sacrifices
or supplications, or if they have temples or houses
of prayer in their villages; our conclusion was, that
they have no religious belief whatever, but live in
this respect entirely free. All which proceeds
from ignorance, as they are very easy to be persuaded,
and imitated us with earnestness and fervour in all
which they saw us do as Christians in our acts of
worship.